Pregnant in the Time of Coronavirus: FAQs About COVID-19 & Pregnancy

With the swirl of research funneled toward coronavirus treatments and vaccines, there isn’t a lot of focus directed toward the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy. Sure, we’ve learned some useful details – like how long the virus survives on different surface materials – but the focus in this global pandemic is squarely on trying to fight the disease.

All of the information we have about COVID-19 is constantly subject to change – and what we do know about its impact on pregnancy is no different: It evolves day by day. But when I sat down with my OB/GYN Dr. Alison Buck on March 24, 2020, I wanted to gather as much information as I could.

Prompted by news stories from New York City and Los Angeles about support partners being banned from accompanying pregnant women at some hospitals, producer Kate McDonald wondered, “Will we have to give birth alone?” Since the publication of that story, however, the State of New York Governor’s Office issued an executive order that requires all hospitals to permit one support partner – just one example of how swiftly news surrounding the coronavirus changes.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic is an evolving issue in Minnesota, Twin Cities PBS is producing a weekly show, Coronavirus: An Almanac Special, where we share practical information from trusted medical sources so all Minnesotans know how to prepare for the coronavirus.

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